(MENAFN) On Monday, the US State Department formally labeled Pakistan’s Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) along with its militant faction, the Majeed Brigade, as terrorist entities.

The department blamed them for orchestrating numerous lethal assaults in recent years.

According to the State Department, the BLA has acknowledged involvement in several high-profile attacks, including suicide bombings near Karachi’s airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex in 2024.

Additionally, they were responsible for the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in March 2025, which was en route from Quetta to Peshawar.

That attack resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians and security officials, while more than 300 passengers were taken hostage.

“Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism. Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,” stated the State Department.

With the designation, the BLA and any of its associates are now subject to punitive measures, including financial sanctions that restrict their ability to access the American financial sector.

The BLA had previously been labeled a terrorist group by the US back in 2019. The organization is also outlawed in both Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

Pakistani authorities have alleged that India supports the BLA, although Indian officials have consistently refuted those accusations.

Balochistan, a region in southwestern Pakistan, has endured persistent unrest for over sixty years.

Separatist movements in the province argue that it was annexed against its will when British colonial rule ended in 1947.

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